Nadia Elkharadly: There’s a right way, and there’s a WRONG way.

As a music journalist/music lovin’ gal about town, I get a lot of music sent my way.  And I mean A LOT.  Between publicists asking me to review their latest client’s most amazing poppy, shoe-gazey (that term needs to die in a fire), metal, rock, whatever album, to people asking me to listen to their friends’ bands, to bands themselves asking me to give their latest single a listen or video a few, I’m inundated with music coming from every place you can imagine.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.  I adore music and discovering new music is why I got into this non/low paying gig in the first place.  But there’s definitely a right way to ask someone in the music business to listen to your life’s work.  There’s also a wrong way.  Let’s start with the right way.

Nadia Elkharadly: 2013 NXNE Preview

Happy June everyone!  Get the coffee, advil, milk thistle and Gatorade ready, it’s music festival time in Toronto!  This week brings North by North East back into our lives.  That means 4am last calls, copious amounts of alcohol and terrible for you meals, and glorious, glorious live music everywhere you go!  It’s become one of my favourite times of year in this city, along with CMW (despite the pitfalls I complained about back in April) and Indie Week.  The city floods with visiting musicians and delegates from across Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the world.  Ever concert, event or just bar wandering can turn into a network opportunity, a reunion or just a chance to get sh-tfaced with friends, new and old alike.  It’s a great time to be in Toronto, and it’s a great time to be a music lover.

Nadia Elkharadly: Sometimes you need a woman’s touch

This past weekend I had the pleasure of seeing one of my favourite local bands live for the first time in over a year.  Toronto’s own White Cowbell Oklahoma took the stage at Lee’s Palace for their CD release party, but there were a couple of new faces on stage.  The most notable new face was that of guitarist Joan Smith (from another awesome local band Little Foot Long Foot).  Now, a great musician joining a great band is always worth mentioning, but in this case the value is twofold.  Besides the fact that Smith is an incredible guitarist and singer, she also happens to be a woman.  This wouldn’t be noteworthy either, except I’ve always thought of White Cowbell Oklahoma as one of the, well, manliest band’s out there.

Nadia Elkharadly: Music NOT on the Radio

Discovering new music is one of my favourite things in life.  Unfortunately, as per Bob’s column yesterday, finding new music on the radio these days is, well, impossible.  Impossible, that is, unless you’re a twelve year old girl (or a sexually confused teenage boy.)  Let’s face it, unless you like pink hair, animal print, young boys who look like lesbians or…Drake, the music you want to hear isn’t coming at you from the airwaves.  Hell, I can’t even listen to Q107 for some classic rock without becoming enraged every time they play R.E.M., Pearl Jam or something else that is decidedly NOT classic rock (classic rock is a GENRE not a time frame Q PEOPLE!!)